Soulbound
by The Chthonic Professor
Summary: "Y'know, after everything that's happened, I really didn't expect we'd be going to back to school again." Naruto squinted up at Beacon Academy's tall spires. Sasuke, standing by his side, chuckled. "It's almost fitting, really. After all this time, you'll finally receive some much-needed education." Naruto's indignant "OI, TEME!" could be heard from the outskirts of Vale.
1. Chapter 1

**_Soulbound_**

 ** _The Chthonic Professor_**

 ** _Summary:_** _"Y'know, after everything that's happened, I really didn't expect we'd be going to back to school again." Naruto squinted up at Beacon Academy's tall spires. Sasuke, standing by his side, chuckled. "It's almost fitting, really. After all this time, you'll finally receive some much-needed education." Naruto's indignant "OI, TEME!" could be heard from the outskirts of Vale._

 ** _Disclaimer:_** _I don't own Naruto or RWBY._

 ** _Warning:_** _Slight bending of timelines, in order for the story to work. Characters were all sixteen years old when the war took place, and have only recently turned seventeen or have yet to turn seventeen._

-.-

 ** _Chapter One - Winter is Coming_**

-.-

Blue eyes practically glowed in the darkness of the night, alight with annoyance and frustration. They stared out from behind a white porcelain mask, the haunting visage of a snarling fox painted upon its front in bright orange. The owner of the pair of eyes was a young man. Though only sixteen, no man who carried himself with such confidence; confidence born of battle and experience rather than arrogance, could be called a boy. The blue of his eyes and the startling orange upon his mask were the only sources of colour on his body. The rest of him was hidden beneath an ankle-length black cloak, a grey protective vest, a sleeveless black form-fitting tank, a pair of black combat pants, and a pair of black toeless sandals that reached halfway up his legs. His arms were protected by a pair of grey greaves and a weapon's pouch was taped to his left thigh.

This was the standard uniform for Konohagakure no Sato's _Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai_ , the Anbu Black Ops: Special Assassination and Tactical Squad.

Concealed as he was up in the branches of the trees, the young man would have been completely invisible to the naked eye were it not for the shattered moon overhead illuminating his eyes in the darkness. The owner of the blue eyes huffed, clearly aggravated by something. He reached up with his left hand, pressing softly against something lodged in his ear with two fingers.

"Buta, Usagi, Karasu, report."

For a moment, nothing but the soft crackle of technology echoed in the young man's ears.

"Buta reporting," A confident female voice came over the military-grade communications radio. Unbidden, the image of long, luxurious blonde hair and a pig mask came to the young man's mind. "My area's clear, Kitsune-taichou."

"Usagi reporting," This voice was also female, but it came over the radio far softer than the first. This time, long blue-black hair, pale lavender eyes and a cute rabbit mask came to mind. "My area is clear as well, Kitsune-taichou."

There was silence over the radio for a couple of seconds.

"Karasu reporting," Was finally heard, a deep, smooth male voice coming over the radio. "I only just finished clearing out my area, I encountered a low concentration of bogies." There was a hesitant pause, as if Karasu wasn't sure whether or not he should continue. "Permission to speak freely, Kitsune-taichou?"

Blonde eyebrows rose up nearly to his hairline behind the young man's fox mask. Karasu was rarely so formal with him. They'd known each other for years, after all.

"Permission granted, Karasu."

Once more, there was a moment of silence over the radio as Karasu gathered his thoughts.

"Naruto, what the _fuck_ are we dealing with here?"

If Naruto was surprised by his friend's sudden change of tone, he didn't show it. He sighed softly, leaning against the tree trunk beside him from where he was crouching up in the boughs of a tree.

"Honestly, Sasuke? I'm not even sure." Naruto ran a hand through his unruly hair, ruffling it up slightly. "These things have been popping up all over the Elemental Nations for the last couple of days, and they're multiplying faster than we can kill them. They don't exactly pose a danger to us shinobi, even a squad of Genin could take on a couple of these things, no problem. Civilians, however…" He trailed off, letting his team's imaginations fill in the gaps.

There was a harsh puff of air from the other end of the line. "If we could figure out what these things are, then maybe we'd be able to do something about them." Sasuke ground out, sounding as aggravated as Naruto felt.

"Yeah, and that's the crux of the matter, isn't it?" Naruto voiced, far more cynical than he was normally as the remains of his most recent kills slowly faded away into black smoke.

He sighed, lifted his mask, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand. Standing up straight on the tree branch he was currently occupying, Naruto gazed out over the treetops of Hi no Kuni's Great Forest.

"Usagi," He finally called out, fingers pressed into his radio once more, "Think you can see if any more of these things are nearby?"

"Hai, Kitsune-taichou." He received as a curt reply. The sound from the radio cut off, only to return moments later. "Sighting confirmed, I have eyes on a large group of bogies several kilometres west of your current position, taichou."

"How large?"

"… Several times larger than anything we've encountered thus far, Kitsune-taichou." Hinata's soft voice crackled over the radio after a short pause.

Naruto didn't even take a moment to sit down and think over his decision.

"Alright, Usagi, I want you to lead the other two over to my position using your radio. Keep your eyes on the bogies, I want to know the moment the situation's changed."

Receiving three iterations of 'roger that', Naruto clicked off the radio in his ear and slumped sideways against the tree. With a grimace, Naruto reached out with his left hand and grasped the stump of his right arm.

The phantom pains were back again, and as Naruto had slowly come to learn, that never meant anything good.

-.-

It had taken no more than ten minutes for squad member Usagi to lead Karasu and Buta to Naruto's position. All four members of Unit Seven were hidden beneath the standard-issue black cloaks the Anbu Corps was known for. Their hoods were up and their masks on, hiding their features from the world. Despite this, all four knew exactly what the other three members of their squad looked like beneath their masks.

They'd all gone to school together, after all.

Though none of them could claim the title of youngest Anbu in history (that title belonging to Karasu's older brother, may he rest in peace), they _did_ hold the title for youngest Anbu _unit_ in history. With a combined age of 64, the oldest and youngest members of their squad were only sixteen years of age. Karasu's seventeenth birthday wasn't for another two months, and Usagi's would come only days before the new year.

Despite the fact that there had never before been an Anbu squad with so many young members, they were widely recognized amongst the Corps as one of the most successful squads anyone had seen to date.

Looking into the eyes of his teammates, of his friends, Naruto was proud to admit he could say the same. They'd only been a squad for a couple of months. Formed only weeks after the end of the Fourth Shinobi War at the urging of the Rokudaime Hokage, there'd been an outcry amongst the higher-ups of the village due entirely to the presence of a single member of their team. Before the war, the outcry of Konoha's esteemed Council would have been due to Naruto's presence on the team. For years they'd hated his guts and his status as the container of the Kyuubi no Yoko.

Now, after the war, after Naruto was recognized as a hero across the entirety of the Elemental Nations, the controversy of his team's formation had nothing to do with him. Well, at least, not directly.

No, the controversy had to do with the fact that Uchiha Sasuke, last surviving member of the once-esteemed Uchiha clan, would be taking the position of Karasu upon Anbu Unit Seven. After everything he'd done before and during the war, Konoha's Council had wanted Sasuke executed on the spot. They believed him to be unstable, a menace to society that needed to be put down.

The Rokudaime Hokage and Naruto had very different opinions. They were his sensei and his teammate, his mentor and best friend, and they'd seen the changes Sasuke had gone through since the end of the war. The steps he'd made towards redemption. It had been a calculated move to place Sasuke on Anbu Unit Seven. It allowed the broken young man the chance to reconnect with his old friends, no matter how shallow their bonds had once been, and simultaneously kept him away from the eyes of the civilians. It was a move that both protected him, and allowed him to take the first steps towards healing himself.

Not to mention the fact that it kept him occupied. Kakashi didn't want to imagine the kind of havoc a bored and irritated Uchiha Sasuke could wreak.

With Sasuke's inclusion to Unit Seven as Karasu, alongside Yamanaka Ino as Buta and Hyuuga Hinata as Usagi, Naruto was looking at one of the best Anbu squads ever formed. They'd only been together for a couple of months, and already they were beginning to pile up quite the number of high-profile missions. Looking into the eyes of his teammates and friends, some of the best shinobi the village had to offer, Naruto couldn't help but feel they were about to be _way_ in over their heads.

It was a gut feeling, something he hadn't felt in a long, long time. Something was wrong. They'd been running across these odd creatures for the last two weeks, ones that faded away into black mist the moment they were killed. They weren't very difficult to kill, and after a short while, many shinobi had begun to write them off as threats. Naruto and Kakashi believed otherwise. It was for that reason Unit Seven was out in the forest at this very moment.

This was the calm before the storm. He could feel it. Something was coming, and it was coming _soon_.

-.-

A low humming noise suddenly brought all four members of Unit Seven to a standstill.

They'd been stalking a large group of these odd, wolf-like creatures - larger than any they'd encountered before. They were tired and worn-out, having been hunting groups of these abominations for the last couple of days. This would be their last extermination run, and then they would return home to deliver their report.

Their hunt had taken them nearly one hundred miles south-east until they'd reached the innermost tip of Hanguri Gulf. Naruto, still under the guise of Kitsune, had been planning on having his squad trap the mindless beasts up against the nearby shore, where they would be exterminated at range with a number of elemental techniques, provided by himself and Karasu. The group of creatures had made their way to a simple clearing in the trees, apparently taking a moment to rest before moving on to parts unknown. Naruto was just about to initiate the first phase of their plan, which involved Unit Seven herding the creatures towards the water, when a low humming noise caught his attention.

His head snapped up to stare at the sky through the treetops, the sudden movement startling the rest of his squad slightly. It was a low, constant noise, something he was only picking up on the edges of his senses. There was something about the noise that set Naruto's teeth on edge. He wasn't taking any chances.

"Usagi," He ordered, tone of voice firm and unrelenting, "Activate your Byakugan and scan the area for anything suspicious."

"Hai." Usagi responded softly. Her body stilled, and Naruto knew she was already scanning the surrounding area with her family's bloodline.

"Kitsune?" Buta turned to him, the questioning tone of her voice all he needed to know what she was asking.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" He intoned softly. Karasu and Buta both stiffened where they were crouching among the tree branches. Normally Naruto wouldn't have said something so ominous-sounding, knowing how on-edge it would make his teammates, but there was something seriously wrong with this whole situation. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Thus, his paranoia finally won out over his personal feelings, and he put the rest of his squad on high-alert.

"Taichou." Usagi's soft voice broke the silence, drawing the attention of her squad mates. She was staring off into the distance, bloodline still activated. "I… don't know how to describe what I'm seeing." She muttered softly. "I've spotted a number of flying grey ships. They seem to be piloted by people."

For a long moment, the rest of Usagi's squad mates could do nothing more than stare and blink at her in surprise. Then Naruto tensed, memories flashing through his mind.

"Are they affiliated with the Land of Sky?" He asked, voice sharp. "Or the Land of Spring?" Hinata shook her head.

"I can't find anything that may affiliate them with either of those countries, Taichou. They're unlike anything I've seen before. It is difficult to tell from such a distance, but they seem to run on some sort of synthetic energy." She was still staring off into the distance, watching the ships with her keen eyes.

"Synthetic energy?" Naruto questioned, brow furrowed. His mind whirled, trying vainly to piece together a coherent picture of the current situation.

"It is difficult for me to describe…" She hesitated for a moment. The humming sound was slowly growing louder as the ships continued to approach their position. "I can see the energy with my Byakugan, and yet…" She trailed off, her own brow furrowing. Despite the fact that both had their faces covered, they could read each other's emotions through the tenseness in their shoulders.

"And yet?" Naruto prodded, trying valiantly not to get annoyed with his gentle teammate. The phantom pain from his missing arm was making him irritable, but he didn't want to take it out on Hinata. She didn't deserve it.

Despite the fact that Hinata had her Byakugan active, and could most likely see him while simultaneously keeping an eye on the approaching ships, she still turned her head to look him in the eye.

"And yet, despite the fact that my Byakugan can detect this odd energy, I can not detect a single trace of chakra in any of the vessels. Not even in the humans piloting them."

The silence that descended upon them was deafening. Hinata wasn't the type for practical jokes. Naruto knew she was being serious as can be, especially since they were on a mission of such crucial importance. Yet, even then, he found himself doubting her claim. For her to be unable to detect a single hint of chakra within _any_ person at all, let alone a number of different people… well, you could forgive him his skepticism, could you not? Thus, despite his faith in both her person and her skill, Naruto still had to ask.

"Are you certain, Usagi?" He tilted his head just enough to put her within his peripherals while keeping his eyes on the distant horizon. The odd buzzing sound that filled the air had gotten louder. The flying machines were approaching, and would soon be upon them.

"I am certain, taichou." She responded, voice quiet, but firm.

Of course she was certain. Well, now he had a decision to make. These flying contraptions would be upon them any second, and they were headed for Konoha. On one hand, Naruto could turn the squad around and race the flying machines back to the village in order to deliver a forewarning to their Hokage. On the other, he could attempt to make contact with the flying machines and their pilots as they passed overhead, determining their motives. There were benefits and disadvantages to both options.

Why had he ever agreed with Kakashi that it would be a good idea for him to lead an ANBU squad? What had they said at the time, that it would be good experience for the future? That it would help teach him how to lead, so he could be a better Hokage one day?

Sometimes Naruto wondered why he put himself into these situations in the first place. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Alright, then. Buta, Usagi, make yourselves scare, but stay on alert. Usagi, keep up your Byakugan and keep an eye on our surroundings. We don't need any unnecessary interference." The two young women on his squad nodded their heads in acknowledgement. "Karasu, you and I are going to kill two birds with one stone. We'll accomplish our mission and make contact with these people at the same time. Use some of your flashier techniques to eliminate the creatures in the clearing below. Hopefully that will be enough to attract their attention and halt their advance."

He looked Karasu in the eyes, and a dichotomous Sharingan and Rinnegan stared back.

"We'll see how it goes from there. Unit Seven, move out."

He received three identical replies of "Hai, taichou!" and four black blurs vanished from the tops of the trees.

-.-

Naruto stood side-by-side with Sasuke at the edge of the clearing. Though he was peripherally keeping an eye on the moving masses of black shadow before him, his gaze was trained on the three specks of grey slowly growing in size on the horizon. They waited for nearly a minute, just until the shiny black glass of the cockpits were visible to them, before making their move.

"Sasuke," Naruto muttered to his friend, forgoing the use of both his communicator and his teammate's callsign, "Did you manage to figure out the one-handed seals for that new fire technique you were working on?"

"Yes." No further elaboration was needed. They were on the same page.

"Good. I'll fuel it with a basic wind technique. We'll torch these things in one go, hopefully the flames are flashy enough to draw their attention."

Sasuke wasted no time in beginning a long string of seals, his fingers seeming to flash and blur with the speed of his movements. Simultaneously the boys began to suck in a huge lungful of air. Their chests seemed to expand to unnatural proportions and their heads tilted backwards in perfect synchronicity.

" **Fire Style** ," Sasuke muttered softly through pursed lips, hand coming up to move his mask away from his mouth, " **Brilliant Flaming Dragon.** " The moment the flames left his lips, Naruto began pouring a slow stream of oxygenated wind chakra from between his lips into the flames, feeding the fire for Sasuke's technique. In moments there was a dragon made of whirling red-hot flames tearing through the clearing in front of them. Trees blistered and popped. Sap boiled in an instant. Grass burnt black and the ground cracked violently beneath the intense heat. The creatures of darkness screamed in agony, erupting into plumes of black smoke at an incredible pace.

The great flaming dragon whirled twice around the clearing, hunting down its bone-masked pray like a bloodhound on the scent. In nearly no time at all the clearing was empty save for the unnatural mass of flames. With a small grunt of effort, Sasuke twitched his hand and furrowed his brow. The fiery dragon twisted and looped around before shooting up into the air where it exploded into a quickly-dispersing mass of fire. The heat licked at their exposed fingers and dried their eyes through the small slits in their Anbu masks.

Naruto grinned in spite of the fact that nobody could see his face. He may have been through war, and he may be the captain of a successful squad of assassins, but he was still Uzumaki Naruto at heart. Sasuke's new technique was cool, and that was exciting to Naruto. He couldn't help himself.

It also helped that Naruto knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that his rival was sporting that thrice-damned smirk behind his own porcelain Anbu mask.

Turning his sapphire eyes - dancing with the fading remnants of Sasuke's wicked-hot fire technique - away from the clearing, he searched the sky. His gaze was intense and imploring as he searched for a sign of the consequences of their actions. His wide grin fell into a grim smile as he found them.

"Well," Sasuke quipped, his voice already dripping with sarcasm, "It looks like that got their attention, alright."

Naruto could only hum and nod in agreement.

His arm was aching again. Things were about to get interesting.

-.-

Together, the four of them watched as the flying ships came to a halt, high above the torched clearing. It only took moments for one of the ships to split off, descending to ground level. So close to the flying ships now, Naruto realized just how loud they were. The baritone hum of the ship's engine was drowning out his thoughts and beating on his eardrums.

It was almost startling to hear the sudden all-encompassing silence that descended on the clearing when the ship's engines cut out. Only the faintest sounds of movement could be heard from within the ship, and only by Naruto's enhanced senses. Then, with a quiet hiss of pressurized hinges, a door slowly unsealed from the back of the ship. It descended until it hit the blackened soil beneath with a soft _thud_.

A woman emerged from within.

She was startlingly beautiful. Her hair was a shade of white that reminded Naruto painfully of Jiraiya. She had a face like a porcelain doll, and skin just as pale. Her eyes, like twin chips of frigid ice, scanned the clearing. Naruto could tell at a glance that this was a sharp woman. If it wasn't for the way that she carried herself like a samurai, he would have thought her a shinobi with the scrutiny at which she examined her surroundings.

She was also carrying a saber on her hip. A rather impractical weapon for a shinobi, but one that nonetheless required skill to wield. It was quite the foreign weapon, Naruto doubted many of his friends would even recognize it for what it was. It was only his years traveling with his godfather that had given him knowledge of such esoteric weaponry.

This was a dangerous woman, shinobi or not.

But Naruto and his squad were far more dangerous than this woman could ever hope to be.

-.-

When Winter's crew spotted the massive gout of flame, she knew immediately that they'd struck gold.

At first, she'd had reservations about being sent on a scouting mission to an island that, until just months ago, was nothing more than myth and legend in their ancient history books. It was highly unlikely that there would be any form of civilization able to survive so long against the Grimm without the advances in technology experienced throughout the rest of Remnant. In the unlikely chance that some form of civilization _did_ manage to survive, they were likely to be nothing more than savages, incapable of intelligent communication.

She'd come only because it was a direct order from the General, and because he'd trusted her to go in his stead as his personal representative.

However, having witnessed the draconic gout of flame, Winter's reservations were rapidly dwindling. Something so intricate could only be achieved through skilled Dust manipulation. This meant that not only were there civilized people on this mysterious continent, but that they likely had extensive knowledge of Dust manipulation, and could potentially be an asset to the four Kingdoms of Remnant.

When Winter had ordered her pilot to land their Bullhead in the centre of the torched clearing, she'd done so in the hopes that it would send out a message of peace. She emerged from the Bullhead alone and with her weapon sheathed.

Even though Winter was an Atlas Specialist at her young age, even though she had her guard up in this new, foreign land, and even though she'd been expecting to make contact with unknown peoples, she was still completely floored to suddenly find one hand restraining her sword arm and another holding a knife to her throat.

"Make any sudden movements and you'll find yourself breathing from a new hole in your neck."

The voice was surprisingly cheerful and casual, distinctly female and, most surprisingly of all, rather young. From the sound of it, her assailant probably wasn't any older than Winter's younger sister, Weiss.

Slowly, Winter raised her arms to chest level with her palms open and fingers splayed. She swallowed harshly, feeling the blade shift slightly against her neck. There was a drop of sweat running down her temple, the lingering heat from earlier combining with her sudden nervousness in producing such a physiological reaction from her.

Winter's attention was on the young woman behind her, so she only noticed there was a second assailant when he cleared his throat, his face only inches from her own.

She wasn't proud of it, but Winter let out a startled shriek when she finally focused on him. His face was hidden behind a porcelain fox mask. It was decorated with tribalistic orange swirls and a snarl like something you'd find on a Grimm. His body was hidden beneath a formless black cloak.

He was also, Winter noticed belatedly, nearly an entire foot shorter than her.

His short stature did nothing to prevent her nervousness from suddenly tripling. He hadn't even spoken yet, but he commanded attention unlike anything she'd ever encountered. Not even the General had such a terrifying presence.

"So," The man in the fox mask drawled, "Are you gonna tell me who you people are and what you're doing here, or are we going to have to do this the hard way?"

Winter blinked dumbly at him for only a second before she regained her composure. Something surprisingly difficult to do with a knife against one's neck.

"Specialist Winter Schnee," she introduced herself, "Representing General James Ironwood, of Atlas. We're on a mission to confirm the existence of a landmass, roughly the size of the continent Anima, that appeared suddenly in the waters off the East coast of said continent, as well as make contact with any potential civilizations that may or may not live on this landmass."

Silence filled the clearing.

With every second that passed, Winter found herself growing more and more nervous. The mask staring her down was immaculate, the snarling visage of a fox startlingly life-like, and it gave her a _serious_ case of the chills.

Then the man in the fox mask let out an explosive sigh, a hand coming up to rub the back of his neck.

"Just to be clear: you're telling me there's not only an entire continent somewhere to the west of the Elemental Nations, but that we've both been living for thousands of years without knowing about each other?"

"Three."

"Pardon?"

"There's three continents. Solitas, Sanus and Anima. Each continent is home to a Kingdom aside from Sanus, which is home to both Vale and Vacuo."

"And you said you're from…?"

"Atlas. Which is on the continent of Solitas, north of Sanus. The final Kingdom is Mistral, which resides on the continent of Anima, the continent closest to this one."

"Ok. So then, your people suddenly became aware of our continent how long ago, exactly?"

At this question, Winter paused a moment to think.

"Some… several months ago, I suspect. I wasn't privy to the exact details."

The man in the fox mask sighed once more, moving his hand from the back of his head to beneath his mask, where he began rubbing at his eyes.

"This wouldn't happen to coincide with the day the moon shattered, would it?"

Winter opened her mouth to refute his claim, but then paused and stopped herself.

"Actually… that sounds rather plausible."

Once again, another sigh from the man in the mask.

"Great. Just great." He took a deep breath, then released it all in one go. "Buta, you can release her. I doubt she means us, or Konoha, any harm."

In one swift - and entirely silent - movement, Winter was released.

The young woman behind her came to stand beside her partner. They were dressed identically aside from their masks. She was wearing a pig mask, of all things.

"Karasu, Usagi."

With nary more than a gust of wind to herald their arrival, two new people were standing beside the first. Winter had to suppress a shiver. She hadn't sensed any of them. Just who _were_ these people?

"Taichou." The pair echoed each other as they spoke.

"I want the two of you to stay and watch their flying ships. Buta and I will take…"

The girl in the pig mask leaned closer to 'Taichou' and whispered " _Schnee-san"_ in his ear.

"… Schnee-san to Konoha. The Hokage can decide what to do from there."

"Konoha? Hokage? What are you talking about?"

The man in the fox mask turned to acknowledge her question.

"Ah, yes. Konoha is our village. It's led by the Hokage, the most powerful and experienced member of the shinobi corps."

Winter was surprised. As much as they spoke the same language (even if these people had a sharper accent than any she was used to), she hadn't expected them to have any truly significant linguistic discrepancies. She'd only begun to suspect such a thing when these people began calling out to each other in what were clearly codenames. While she'd never heard of the words they were using, she wasn't entirely prepared to dismiss it as a completely different language. Now, however, her thoughts had changed.

"I am assuming that you are a shinobi, then?"

For the briefest moment, Winter caught sight of a pair of blue eyes, bright as the sky, but cold and hard as ice.

"Yes."

No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't suppress the chill running up and down her spine.

The man in the fox mask turned sharply, his cloak flapping violently behind him as he began to stride away. The young woman behind the pig mask turned to follow him with only the briefest glance in Winter's direction. The other two stayed where they were, watching her with shadowed eyes.

Hesitantly, Winter began to follow the pair of 'shinobi' (whatever _that_ meant).

All in all, as rattled as she was by the encounter with these odd people, Winter realized her mission was well on its way to being accomplished. She'd made contact with this continent's indigenous people and was being led to a diplomatic leader. Once she met with this person, she'd be able to discuss potential relations between this new continent and the rest of Remnant. It looked like, in the end, all was still going to plan.

So lost in her thoughts was Winter that she almost ran into the back of the man she was following. He'd stopped just on the edge of the torched clearing, his head turned to the side in a way that left only the right side of his mask exposed.

"Karasu, Usagi," He called, gaining the attention of the latter two members of their little group of four, "I'll ask the Hokage to send a fresh team to relieve you as soon as possible."

Winter watched as the man behind the raven mask gave a single grunt of acknowledgement, while the shorter woman (with a bust unlike anything Winter had ever seen, she noted with slight jealousy) in the rabbit mask gave a quick bow and a soft 'Thank you, Kitsune-taichou' in response.

Then Winter was being led into the forest. The clearing where she'd left her men behind was quickly out of sight.

-.-

The moment they'd entered the forest, Naruto had taken off at a slow sprint. While he kept to the forest floor, making sure to keep in the line of sight of the woman he was escorting, Ino took to following them from the trees. Initially he'd taken off simply because he wanted to return home as quickly as possible, not stopping to wonder whether or not the woman in white would be able to keep pace. However, as she kept pace with him, even while he was running at no more than a quarter of his maximum speed, Naruto found himself testing her. While she was clearly no shinobi, she was also just as clearly a warrior of some kind. That being said, he was curious about what she could do. Without having the option of fighting her to test her limits, this was his only other means of discovering the woman's potential, no matter how basic that discovery may turn out to be.

By the time Konoha's gates came into view several hours later, Naruto could say he was a little impressed. She hadn't complained for a moment about the pace he'd set, and he'd even sped up gradually the longer they ran. She looked to be a little worse for wear, and was trying to hide just how much her chest was heaving, but he was a little more inclined to befriend her than earlier due to her determination not to slow them down and her poise and professionalism, even while tired and winded.

Slowing to a stop a good distance from the gates, Naruto waited for her to pull up beside him. Glancing at her expression from the corner of his eye, Naruto smiled. There was wonder in those twin pools of icy blue as they took in the impressive sight before them. The sun was just coming down behind the Hokage monument, bathing the entire city in a homely orange glow. The six faces of Konoha's Hokage gazed down imposingly, visible high over his home's outer walls. The village itself could be seen through the massive pair of open gates, still bustling with life even at this hour in the day.

"Welcome to Konohagakure no Sato, The Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"It's… beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so."

While the foreigner was distracted by the sight of the village, Naruto covertly gave Ino a new set of orders. There was no visible sign of her disappearance from the nearby trees, but Naruto could feel her chakra slowly fading amongst the rest of Konoha's population.

Naruto was escorting an outsider, and so would have to take her through the village's roads even while dressed in full Anbu gear. It would gather far more attention than he would like, but it was necessary to follow protocol. He couldn't take the white-haired woman through Anbu's secret routes into the village, and there was no way he was revealing his identity to her before stalking through the village. Either way, unveiling who he was at this moment would only garner them more attention in the end. He'd become quite the popular figure in the village ever since the end of the war.

Walking up to the village gates, and only sparing the briefest glance backwards to make sure Schnee-san was following him, Naruto smirked behind his mask. It looked like even after everything that had happened, Izumo and Kotetsu would live up to their titles as the Eternal Gate Guards.

He stopped before the admission's desk and stood there without saying a word, waiting for the two Chunin to notice him. His blue eyes were glinting merrily through his intimidating mask. During the tense couple of seconds it took for the pair of Chunin to notice his presence, Naruto's respect for his temporary companion went up a notch. Most people would have shuffled around, uncomfortable with the awkward atmosphere. Apparently, Schnee-san was a well-trained member of her military. She stood behind him and just to his left as if she was cut from marble, hands crossed behind her back and spine ramrod-straight.

When Izumo and Kotetsu finally noticed him, they both jumped, startled by the grinning fox-mask mere inches in front of them. Naruto had grown to respect his Anbu training far too much to snicker at their expressions, but that didn't stop him from laughing like an idiot in his head. It seemed Kakashi's odd sense of humour had finally begun rubbing off on him.

"A-ah, Anbu-san, what can we do for you?"

"Requesting permission to bring a foreigner into the village. Schnee-san has some vital information for the Hokage's ears only."

Izumo and Kotetsu both glanced at the white-haired woman standing behind Naruto before they looked at each other. Only a second passed, but an entire conversation seemed to take place between the two.

"Permission granted, Anbu Kitsune-san."

With only a brief nod to acknowledge their words, Naruto turned in his heel and marched into the village. Winter followed one step behind him.

-.-

While Naruto was dealing with the gate guards, Ino was rushing across the village's rooftops. She sent a series of small chakra pulses into the tattoo on her shoulder, informing her Hokage that there was an urgent message incoming. When she received the go-ahead to enter the office, she performed a standard Shunshin right through the open window. Materializing before her leader in a swirl of leaves, Ino was down on one knee, right fist to the ground and left fist clenched before her heart.

"Hokage-sama."

"Buta." Kakashi acknowledged the young Anbu before him with a small nod. "Report. Did you discover something new about these beasts that have been plaguing the Elemental Nations?"

"No, Hokage-sama. We did, however, discover something a little more… unbelievable."

One of Kakashi's silver eyebrows rose in response. He leaned forwards in his chair, folding his fingers before his masked mouth, charcoal grey eyes trained intently on his subordinate.

"Explain."

And explain she did.

-.-

Walking through the village of Konoha, Winter was amazed by the sheer number of differences between their two cultures. Having grown up as the daughter of Jacques Schnee in the heart of Atlas, Winter had been constantly surrounded by the greatest technological advances in the world. It was these advances in technology that made Atlas the greatest Military power on the planet. To walk through streets that weren't even paved, to not see a single scroll in anyone's hands, to see a total lack of automobiles of any kind, was absolutely incredible. Especially considering how powerful this masked man and his compatriots seemed to be. For them to have gained such strength without any significant advances in technology was both very impressive and slightly terrifying.

Another thing Winter noticed as she traveled behind her cloaked guide was the lack of Faunus. She couldn't be sure if these people were simply discriminatory towards Faunus, or if the Faunus simply didn't exist on this new continent, but she wouldn't make any assumptions until she had definitive proof. It was simply another thing to store in the back of her thoughts, only to be remembered when she gave her report to General Ironwood.

As the sun finally descended from the sky and darkness fell upon the world, Winter and her escort came to a stop before a large cylindrical building. There was a large red symbol with a strange character in the centre adorning the building's front.

"This," Her escort spoke for the first time since they'd entered the village, "is the Hokage's Tower. It's connected to the Academy, where young trainees go in order to learn the ways of the Shinobi." He led her into the tower, up a number of flights of stairs and past a secretary that gave him a respectful bow as he passed.

"The Hokage is waiting for you, Kitsune-san." She spoke with a soft tone, and gave Winter only the briefest of curious glances before she returned to her desk.

'Kitsune-san' led Winter to a door, holding it open for her and allowing her to enter before him. Walking into the spacious office, Winter took a moment to admire her surroundings. The entire back wall was taken up large bay windows, showing an absolutely brilliant view of Konoha's night-life. The walls on either side of her were filled with bookshelves and filing cabinets in an extreme case of organized chaos. There were five pictures on the walls as well, each clearly older than the last. The first was of a stern-looking blonde woman with a bust that _couldn't_ be real and a small diamond in the centre of her forehead. She was the only woman depicted, with the other four being radically different-looking men. The second picture was of a handsome young blonde man with bright blue eyes, the third of a kindly older man with liver spots, the fourth of an intimidating man with stark-white hair and a fur-lined coat, and the last (and oldest) picture was of a man with long brown hair, full-body red armour and a warm smile.

The main focus of the room, however, was sitting right in front of her. Seated behind a large desk piled high with papers was a man. He was far younger than Winter would have expected a village leader to be. If she had to, she'd place him in his early thirties at the most. His eyes were intense, a deep charcoal grey that bored into her from above his interlaced fingers. The man's left eye was cleanly bisected by a neat scar. His silver-grey hair sat beneath a conical red hat with a white triangle on the front.

For a man with most of his face covered by a cloth mask, he was one of the most handsome Winter had ever met. He was also one of the most intimidating.

The door behind her was shut with a soft click, and 'Kitsune-san' came to stand in front of her. Then he dropped to one knee, planting one fist on the ground and clenching the other in front of his heart.

"Hokage-sama."

The Hokage stared down at his subordinate, expression perfectly blank. Winter swallowed heavily. These people were intense in a way Atlas would never be able to replicate.

"Kitsune."

"Requesting permission to relieve Anbu Karasu and Anbu Usagi from their posts guarding the envoy sent with Schnee-san." Kitsune asked without raising his head from its bowed position.

"Permission granted. Have Commander Tanuki send Unit Four."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!"

Without a single indication that he'd moved in any way, Kitsune disappeared from sight. The Hokage turned his gaze back to her. Winter mentally berated herself for straighten her spine even further under the man's militant gaze.

"So. Why don't you introduce yourself first, and then you can explain to me exactly who you are and what it is you're doing on my soil?"

Winter didn't dare wipe the sweat beading on her brow. This was going to be a trying couple of days, she could already tell.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Soulbound_**

 ** _The Chthonic Professor_**

 ** _AN:_** _Quick author's note before we move on to the story: Holy Freaking Cow! I've never received such a positive response in such a short amount of time to a story! It's genuinely heartwarming for me too see, you guys, because I've been planning this story for months. To see it actually be well-received is a relief. In fact, I was so happy, I pumped out this monster chapter in under a week. On top of that, this is the longest chapter I've ever written! It's 10'000 words!_

 ** _Edit - December 4th, 2017:_** _It has been brought to my attention that I made a couple of glaring mistakes. Not just grammar mistakes (of which I've found and corrected a few), but in the fact that not once, but_ ** _twice_** _I forgot that_ ** _Naruto only has one of his arms_** _. You know, no big deal, just a major part of the story's plot. Thank you MASSIVELY to_ ** _Kyo no Kitsune_** _for pointing out the times I slipped when it came to Naruto's arm - or, rather, lack-thereof. I just hope I caught them all…_

 _Also, extra Edit: I figured out how to do line breaks! Look at them! Hehe~ I'm so excited~_

* * *

 ** _Chapter Two - Arriving in Atlas_**

* * *

Naruto walked through the village with a frown creasing his brow and his hand in his pocket as he made his way towards the Hokage tower. Ever since Winter and her fellows had arrived from overseas, life had been hectic for Naruto. He and his unit had been tasked with guarding the militaristic woman throughout the duration of her stay in Konoha. After only three days of this her talks with the Hokage were finally settled. She was ready to leave Konoha and deliver her findings to her superiors. This was where Naruto's absolute headache of a mission truly began. Unit Seven was tasked with escorting Winter back to her homeland. Once they arrived, they were to scout out their new surroundings, all while trying to convince Winter's superior, General James Ironwood, that they should be allowed to escort him to Konoha, where he would continue negotiations with the Hokage in person.

Having first seen their flying ships, and then having to fly across the ocean inside one of them, still wasn't enough to prepare Naruto for the technological wonderland that was the Kingdom of Atlas. The tall impersonal buildings reminded him far too much of Ame, and the weather reminded him of Yuki no Kuni before he and Princess Koyuki came along. The incredible chasm between Remnant's level of technology compared to their own was astounding to witness first-hand.

Another shock that visited them while they were learning the basics of Atlesian culture were the people. Ino had an absolute field-day walking around the city and taking in the incredible fashion sense of their new foreign friends. The greatest shock of all, however, had been meeting a Faunus for the first time. To know that there was an entire race of people with distinctive animal features, a people who were heavily discriminated against by a large majority of the population, was disheartening to see. It had thrown a lot of things into perspective for Naruto. He wondered how many people who hated the Faunus would be just as xenophobic towards learning about the Shinobi, and their way of life.

In the end, they hadn't been able to do nearly as much reconnaissance as they'd wanted. The General was all-for meeting with the Hokage in person, and it took only two days for him to prepare for the the journey overseas. The man was very impressed by the professionalism displayed by Naruto and his team, and the first thing he did upon meeting with the Hokage was compliment their discipline. It seemed the man would be very open to negotiating with the Shinobi of the Elemental Nations.

That was the extent of Naruto's knowledge about the talks between the General and his sensei. Just as they'd been tasked with guarding Winter during her stay, Unit Seven was trusted with protecting the General from the shadows. Of course, with Kakashi issuing the orders, that meant even though they were the most knowledgeable group of people about the situation after the Hokage, they still knew very little as a whole. Naruto grumbled, kicking a loose stone on the path in front of him as he walked.

"Stupid sensei and his stupid games." He muttered, then yawned. He didn't bother covering his mouth. It was too early in the morning for anybody to be out and about to make comments about his lack of manners. "What'd he have to wake us so early in the morning for anyways?" He whined.

That is, there was nobody there to witness his rude manners and imbecilic whining aside from his three friends trudging alongside him. Sasuke and Kiba looked just as tired and bitchy as Naruto felt. Lee, however, was wide awake. The damn training-nut was probably used to waking up at this hour without prompting from anyone else.

Having been woken up well before four in the morning, Sasuke looked ready to murder someone with his glower alone. His eyes were red and rimmed with dark circles, but for once, that had nothing to do with the Sharingan. Kiba was out-cold, snoring loudly as he piggy-backed on Akamaru, who had gone through another small growth-spurt in the last couple of months. Naruto remembered Kiba bragging about how Akamaru was officially the largest ninken ever recorded in his clan's history. The mutt was the size of a damn pony already, and Kiba had a hunch his partner still had a bit more growing to do.

As the tower came into view, Sasuke decided Naruto's whining and complaining deserved a response.

"Maybe sensei has finally realized how much of an idiot you are, and has decided to place someone with half-a-brain in charge of our Anbu Unit." Sasuke received a kick in the heel for that one.

"Shut up, ya damn bastard." Naruto grunted, pushing past his partner and heading for the front doors of the tower. "And anyway, your stupid comment doesn't make any sense. If that's the case, first of all, what are Kiba and Lee doing here? Second of all, that would place Hinata in charge of the unit, not you." He stormed off in a huff and pushed his way into the tower, a lazy Akamaru trotting in right behind him. This left Lee and Sasuke to stand awkwardly side-by-side in the still-star-lit streets of Konoha.

"Normally I would call your words un-youthful, Sasuke-san," Lee finally decided to speak his minds, "But I can see why you do it."

Sasuke's smirk was smug enough to start another world war.

"It's hilarious."

"That it is, Sasuke-san. That it is."

* * *

"Alright, Kaka-sensei, we're here. What'd'ya want already?"

Let it be known that, as much as Naruto respected his Anbu training too much to goof off while suited-up, that did not, by any means, indicate he was any different from his normal self while outside his military gear.

Kakashi just sighed, having already anticipated Naruto's antagonistic nature for having been woken up at such an ungodly hour. He shuffled around with some of the documents on his desk, then picked up a pen and signed a couple of others. Naruto would need to be patient while Kakashi punished him for his impatience. It was only once he noticed that the other three began to shuffle due to the uncomfortable atmosphere (and that Kiba had finally woken up from his nap) that Kakashi decided to begin speaking.

"I finally finished my talks with General Ironwood just before midnight last night."

Kakashi was cut off by Naruto saying, "Yeah, so? What's that got to do with us?"

"Since then," He continued, raising his voice to talk over Naruto but acting like he hadn't been interrupted in the first place, "I've been in a meeting with the council, deciding on our best course of action to take in relation to both our new neighbours overseas, and our new red-eyed residents roaming Hi no Kuni's countryside."

That finally got Naruto to shut up and stand at attention. He was just as concerned about these new monstrosities as Kakashi.

"From my talks with the General, I've discovered that these creatures, called Grimm, are very prominent on the rest of Remnant's continents. In fact, they're so numerous that most of each Kingdom's population resides in a single, massive city protected by high walls and constant patrols. Any smaller towns or settlements that come about are expected to survive on their own against the Grimm. Most do not."

"That is… concerning." Lee was frowning just a bit more than the rest of them, his code of honour unable to take the fact that the more superior Kingdoms would not protect their weaker charges.

"Mm, that it is." Kakashi agreed. "I have also learned that, in order to combat these Grimm, young warriors are sent to major Academies where they learn to fight against the creatures of darkness, protecting their Kingdoms. These young warriors learn to wield an energy called Aura, and fight with unique abilities called Semblances in conjunction with using powerful weapons. They believe that aura comes from a person's soul, and is the reason that nearly all Semblances are unique in some way or another. However, the most interesting thing I've discovered about aura is the fact that it exists separately from chakra."

Kakashi allowed them a moment to let that sink in.

"Separately from chakra?" Sasuke was the first to question his Hokage's statement.

"Yes. Essentially, it means that a person can have both aura, and chakra. They are separate energies."

"Is that really possible? Do we know for sure, or is it just a theory?" Sasuke asked again. Though few knew it, both Naruto and Kakashi were aware that, during his apprenticeship to the Snake Sannin, Sasuke had enjoyed developing quite the well of theoretical knowledge about chakra. He liked to laud himself as an intellectual. Naruto knew otherwise.

Sasuke was a nerd.

"We know for sure, Sasuke. As part of our negotiations, I had General Ironwood unlock my aura. Here, allow me to demonstrate."

With that, Kakashi closed his eyes and held out his palm. Slowly, almost sluggishly, white light started to pool in his palm. It settled into a thin film, wrapping around his fingers and snaking down his wrist. Eventually, it covered his entire arm like a glove. In the darkness of the morning and the low lights of the office, Kakashi seemed to glow, lighting up his surroundings. Then, with a heavy sigh, Kakashi slumped forwards and the glow vanished entirely. For a moment, darkness engulfed the room.

"What was that." Kiba whispered in wonder.

"That was my aura. It is a Huntsman's first defence against the Grimm; a sort of forcefield that protects and heals them from most damage. According to Ironwood, even a child who has only just unlocked his aura, and has yet to discover his semblance, has a greater chance of surviving a Grimm attack than a trained warrior without an aura."

Kakashi leaned back in his (admittedly very comfortable) chair, sharp gaze taking in the sleepy, but alert, forms of his soldiers. As much as he wanted to say they were the four he would trust most with this mission, he would be a liar. They were simply the four he could most afford to not have in the village at the moment.

"Now, there's one little tidbit I've learned that makes this all very interesting. As much as those with chakra can also have an aura, that does not mean that chakra is a requirement to unlocking one's aura."

Sasuke rocked back on his heels, the implications of Kakashi's words hitting him first.

"So, that means…"

"That means, shinobi, two very important things. The first, is that civilians and, more importantly, _samurai_ , can learn how to become a Huntsman. The second, is that _one does not need to have chakra to survive._ "

That sent all four of the boys reeling. Even Lee, who's chakra network was so damaged he couldn't perform Ninjutsu or Genjutsu of any kind, still needed his chakra network to survive. Then, Naruto came to a realization.

"The people from overseas… Winter, and the pilots that flew her over to the Elemental Nations… not a single one of them had any chakra. Hinata said as much when she first spotted them."

"That's correct, Naruto." Though it wasn't obvious, Kakashi was smiling at him from behind his mask.

"That… doesn't make sense, though." Sasuke was frowning. "How is it possible to survive without chakra? I thought all shinobi learned that, without chakra, even a civilian wouldn't be able to live."

Kakashi nodded sagely, with his eyes closed. "And that is true. In the Elemental Nations, even a civilian could not survive without chakra, but that's because our bodies have, over time, grown used to having chakra as a necessary organ." Seeing the confused faces of his subordinates (even Sasuke), Kakashi decided to elaborate. "Alright, think of it this way. Imagine chakra was a drug. Before anybody knew it existed, people were perfectly capable of getting by without it. However, one day, someone introduces chakra to everybody else, and they all become _hooked_. In fact, they become so hooked on chakra that without it, instead of going into withdrawal, people _die_."

The looks on his four subordinates' faces were _priceless._ Kakashi wished he had a camera, just for a moment.

"This is _actually_ what happened to us. At one point in time, before Kaguya came along, people were living perfectly normal lives without an ounce of chakra in their systems. However, she eventually gave birth. Her children were able to use chakra, and they began teaching others how to use this gift. Soon, there were so many people born with chakra that even civilian families had someone, somewhere in their genetic line, who had chakra, introducing it to the rest of their descendants."

Sasuke had pieced the rest of the puzzle together by now, so he decided to jump into the explanation.

"The reason people can live without any chakra at all, is because nobody in their genetic line was ever introduced to it, right?" Kakashi nodded, confirming his theory.

"Yes, exactly. Though this is only a theory, General Ironwood and I believe that, upon discovering chakra, either Kaguya or the Ten-Tails erected a barrier between the Elemental Nations and the rest of the world. This served to keep chakra contained on our continent, making it easier to keep track of. On the other hand, this means that nobody but those native to the Elemental Nations have any chakra, and with a threat like the Grimm roaming the rest of the planet, the people of Remnant had to discover some other way to protect themselves."

"Okay…" Naruto rocked back and forth on his heels, a single finger pushed up against his chin. He was thinking so hard, he looked constipated. "I get that this is important stuff and all… but what's that got to do with us?"

Kakashi took a moment to let Naruto's question hang in the air.

"I know that look, Naruto. Why don't you tell me why _you_ think I've called you here?"

Blue eyes blinked slowly at him. He stared back, impassive. Sighing, Naruto nodded his head and then closed his eyes.

"Well, let's see. People with chakra can use aura. People with aura are called Huntsmen, and Huntsmen fight against the Grimm. Ever since Kaguya died, the barrier between the Elemental Nations and the rest of the world has fallen, allowing Grimm to make their way over here…we're shinobi. We're not Huntsmen. We can't spare all those shinobi in order to protect people from the Grimm, and anyway, Shinobi are loyal to their village alone. The Grimm are a threat to everybody, collectively."

By now, Lee and Kiba were staring at Naruto with awe in their eyes. Sasuke was smirking, having already seen this calculative side of Naruto. Kakashi was just smiling softly at his student. It was times like this, more than any other, that Kakashi realized Naruto was just as much his father's son as he was his mother's.

"That means you want some shinobi, I'm guessing us four since we're the ones here, to learn how to become Huntsmen. We can only do that overseas, since that's where all the Academies for Huntsmen are located. Then, once we've learned how to fight as Huntsmen, we can come back and begin setting up our own Academy over here, one that'll teach anyone from any country, even Samurai or civilians, how to become Huntsmen."

Naruto's eyes snapped open, boring directly into his sensei's slightly mis-matched charcoal grey ones.

"The only thing I can't figure out is why you picked us four specifically, and why you picked four of us."

The Hokage's office was silent for a moment. Then Kakashi started laughing heartily.

"Well done, Naruto," He finally managed to get out between chortles, "It looks like those Shogi sessions with the Anbu commander have really done you some good."

Naruto blushed bashfully as he rubbed the back of his head, a small grin on his face.

"Hehe, thanks, sensei."

"You're correct on all accounts except one. I actually hadn't thought of creating a single academy that would cater to all prospective Huntsmen in the Elemental Nations, but it's a good idea. I'll have to use that one." He muttered quietly to himself for a moment while marking down a note for later reference. "Also, I'll have to get in contact with the other Kage, see what their take on this is. I don't know if any of them will want to send some of their shinobi to one of these academies…"

As Kakashi devolved into ramblings and note-taking, his four subordinates (and one dog) stared at him with totally deadpan expressions.

"Ah… sensei?" Naruto finally remarked, causing Kakashi to look up from his new notes with an owlish look on his face. "We're still standing here, y'know."

"Oh. Right. Yes, of course." He gathered all of his papers together, rapped them twice against the desk to make them neater, and then placed them off to the side. "So… the reason I picked you four, and the reason I picked four of you, go hand-in-hand."

He cleared his throat. "Naruto, I picked you because, one day, you will be my successor. As Hokage it will be your duty to protect the people, as you already know. In sending you overseas, I hope you will both grow stronger from this Huntsmen training, as well as develop some political connections that will benefit Konoha."

Naruto nodded. Kakashi had really been pushing him to become a proper Hokage, worthy of the seat and hat he'd revered for so long. This, it seemed, was just another one of his hair-brained schemes.

"Sasuke, the village still doesn't trust you very much. I believe sending you on such a politically important mission, and having it be successful, will be the final push needed to cement your place as a Konoha citizen amongst the rest of the populace." Kakashi's look was cold and hard as ice. "Also," And suddenly, the look was gone, "I don't trust Naruto not to do anything idiotic there without you or Sakura to reign him in, and Sakura is needed at the Hospital."

Sasuke shrugged. Fair enough. They all decided to ignore Naruto's indignant "OI!"

"Kiba, you were chosen because of your partner, Akamaru, and your animalistic features. Due to your close bond with your ninken, we're not sure if unlocking your aura will affect either your or Akamaru in any way. Essentially, you will be the pilot project, testing whether or not your family members, or others, like the Aburame, would be eligible to become Huntsmen. You were chosen over an Aburame due to your more apparent animalistic physical features. You four will be the first team sent over to the other continents, and you will be representing all of Konoha, if not the entire Elemental Nations. There is an entire race of people out there called Faunus, who bear a single animalistic feature. They're heavily discriminated against, but a large number of people are trying to change that. If possible, the council and I would like you to make contact with the Faunus, and see if you can convince them that we mean their kind no harm."

It took Kiba a little while to absorb all that information, but eventually he nodded his affirmative. He would do the best he could.

"And finally, we come to you, Lee." Kakashi sighed, leaning forward with his elbows on his desk. He looked tired, and older than his years actually suggested. "Lee, you were chosen as a favour to your sensei." The other three had no idea what Kakashi was talking about, but it seemed Lee had caught on, as he developed a fiery, defiant look in his eyes. Before he could say anything, Kakashi cut him off by speaking again. "Lee, listen. Gai _could not_ be more proud of you, but as someone who is both a master of Taijutsu, and someone who has taught you for so long, he can see you plateauing, Lee. There's only so much further you can go before you hit a wall, and honestly, Gai is afraid of what that will do to you. Already, he's confided in me that you're finding it more and more difficult to keep your upbeat attitude."

Lee's three friends looked at him in startled surprise. Even Sasuke wasn't afraid to hide his shock. Lee just looked away, opting instead to stare at a picture of the Yondaime on the wall of the Hokage's study.

"Lee, Gai and I have discussed this in great detail alongside the General. All three of us believe that you should have absolutely no problems unlocking and utilizing both your aura and your semblance. Gai thinks learning to fight as a Huntsman would be good for you, and honestly, I agree with him. I think it would benefit you greatly. However," Something in Kakashi's tone prompted Lee to look right at him, "You _do_ have the option to deny this mission. I will not force one of my best shinobi to subject himself to something he's completely unwilling to do. We can always find someone else to take your place."

Lee's tense posture softened at his Hokage's words, and as he took some time to think, he glanced down at the office's floorboards. Kakashi let Lee think, holding up a hand towards his other three subordinates in order to keep them quiet. Long minutes passed, enough so that Kakashi was about to suggest Lee take some more time to think about this later, when the black-haired teen suddenly looked up.

There was a fire in his eyes.

"I will do this mission, Hokage-sama. If both you and Gai-sensei think it's something I need to do, then I trust your judgement. He has never steered me wrong before."

Kakashi's smile was warm and proud, and it made Lee stand up just a little bit straighter, a small smile gracing his own cheeks.

"Good. That allows me to move on to my final reasons for picking the four of you." Once again sitting back in his chair (this time for dramatic effect), Kakashi steepled his fingers in front of his chest. "First of all, Remnant's four Huntsmen Academies sort their new students into teams of four, each through their own unique initiation process. Second of all, each academy has a minimum age limit of seventeen, and it is only under extreme circumstances that this age limit is broken. At the moment, the academies are still in the middle of their school year, and will not accept new students halfway through. However, that benefits us. By the time the new school year rolls around, Naruto, Sasuke and Kiba will all be seventeen years of age. Lee, I know, will be eighteen, but it's been agreed that he's close enough in age to you three for it not to matter. We couldn't really pick anyone any older, as Huntsmen only go through four years of training before they graduate, and thus are trusted with the responsibility of taking, and successfully completing, their own missions."

The four boys took a moment to look at each other. They'd be stuck together for the next four years. As three sixteen year olds and one seventeen year old, that was quite the length of time.

"Now, there was a very good reason for me waking you all at such an unholy hour of the morning to dump all of this information on you. As much as you four will be attending one of these academies, you will do so as regular students and citizens of Remnant. Ironwood and I have agreed that the rest of the world is not quite ready to learn about the Elemental Nations, and we believe having a recognizable and trustworthy team of Huntsmen already in the public eye when we announce ourselves to the rest of the world would be the best course of action. As such, you will be given five months to acclimatize yourselves to your new surroundings before attending a Huntsmen Academy. I'm telling you all of this now, at…" He briefly glanced over at a clock hanging on the wall of the office, "… ten minutes to five in the morning, because General James Ironwood is returning to Atlas. He leaves at 0600 hours, today. That gives you each an hour to get ready and be here, atop the Hokage's tower, to leave for Atlas alongside the General."

He tried, he really did, to not smirk at the synchronized widening of the four boys' eyes. He failed. Epically.

"You'd better move quickly, boys. Time is ticking."

They were gone with a boom, leaving behind quite the dust cloud to settle on his office floor. All the while, he was laughing uproariously to the sound of Naruto's _"Fuck you, damn lazy-sensei! We're gonna be late!"_ echoing across the village.

* * *

As Ironwood ascended a set of stairs, Kakashi walking beside him, he wondered at the 'surprise' the silver-haired leader had in store for him. He tried not to sigh. Why must the man be so vague? James didn't know if it was something to do with the hair colour, but he knew far too many silver-haired leaders who enjoyed being cryptic with their words. Yes, two was too many.

Whatever Ironwood had been expecting when he finally reached the top of the stairs, it wasn't this.

Standing on the open roof of the Hokage's tower were four boys, each with a packed bag slung over their shoulders. Every one of them was different in way Ironwood had come to expect of most Huntsmen. From what he'd seen of standard shinobi life during his time in Konoha, that was a little odd in and of itself.

The first boy he laid eyes on needed some serious help when it came to fashion-sense. He was wearing far too much orange. Ironwood wondered how someone could possibly be considered a successful shinobi, a _ninja_ by all rights, while wearing such a thing. He counted himself lucky that, atop a good chunk of the orange attire was a deep red coat with black flames coating the edges. The boy wore the cloak over his shoulders, a black tassel in front of his neck keeping it in place, leaving the sleeves empty.

The second was dressed far more sensibly. He was wearing a high-collared black shirt, of which only the collar was visible, because it was all hidden beneath a ragged brown poncho. Otherwise he had simple pants taped to his legs and the shinobi sandals Ironwood had become familiar with over the last few days.

The third he nearly mistook for a Faunus. The boy was grinning wide, showing off his pronounced canines and warping the two red tattoos on his cheeks. He had on a grey coat with black fur lining the edges, and he was seated astride the largest dog Ironwood had ever seen.

The final boy, Ironwood surmised, also needed some fashion tips. Dressed in skintight green spandex, hideous orange leg-warmers and a darker green combat vest, he was a walking disaster. The bowl-cut and massive eyebrows didn't do the poor boy any justice either. However, beneath the eyesore he seemed to be at first-glance, Ironwood did take note of the boy's bandaged knuckles and visibly athletic body. Eyesore he may be, but this boy was a hard worker. That, at least, Ironwood could respect.

"General," Kakashi spoke up from beside him, "It has been decided by both myself and my council of advisors that these four boys are our best bet at introducing the Huntsman way of life to the Elemental Nations. They have orders to accompany you back to Atlas, familiarize themselves with your way of life, and join one of the four Academies as soon as they are eligible."

James took another moment simply to observe the four boys. Already he could tell they wouldn't have too much trouble fitting in. He turned his gaze on Kakashi.

"You say they will be coming with me back to Atlas. Do you expect them to join my academy, or one of the others?"

"That has yet to be decided." Kakashi's answer was immediate, as if he'd already been expecting the General's question. "I must convene with the other four Kage, in order to determine whether or not any of them are willing to send some shinobi overseas to become Huntsmen. When a decision has been made, I will relay new orders to the four boys, so they can respond accordingly. Until then, they are simply to familiarize themselves with and prepare themselves for this new way of life."

James nodded in understanding. It was all a little last-minute, and just a tad bit unprofessional, but he respected Kakashi's blunt nature. The man wasn't hiding any of his plans. He was laying everything out on the table for James to see. From what he'd learned during his short visit to Konoha, he could understand why. These people, so used to lying and deceiving each other, finally had enough. They'd experienced a war that would have left every man, woman and child on the continent dead at the hands of a madman. They were tired of war. It had taken a single, decisive enemy to unite these lands, and now that enemy was gone. Kakashi was afraid they'd begin returning to their old ways, spying on each other, lying and deceiving and killing all in order to further their own selfish agendas.

Then the Grimm had come along. Once James explained to Kakashi just how much of a threat these creatures represented to the population as a whole, Kakashi had seen a path to lasting peace. The Elemental Nations had little use for the shinobi way of life if they were looking towards lasting peace. However, they still need protectors, warriors to defend the innocent from a single, united evil. Huntsmen were perfect for such a task, and so Kakashi was trusting these four young men to be successful on a mission that would most likely go down as the most important undertaking of their generation.

It was inspiring. These young men were inspiring. Though he did not smile, James did stand just a little bit straighter. He squared his shoulders, staring down the four boys as though they were his own soldiers.

"Are you four ready to go?" He asked, expression stern. None of the boys were fazed.

"Yeah, you bet'cha!" The blonde one chuckled, throwing passionate thumbs-up and grinning wide. The stoic dark-haired one grunted noncommittally, but there was a self-satisfied smirk on his face. The one with the tattoos was showing off his prominent canines while roughly patting his massive mount's side. The fourth was giving a grin just as wide as his blonde friend's, with an enthusiastic double-thumbs-up being thrown James' way.

No fear. These boys showed no fear whatsoever.

James stepped past the four boys, leading them onto the waiting Bullhead. The Elemental Nations no longer needed Shinobi. He couldn't help but be thankful for such a thing. From what little he'd seen of the Shinobi, James had already realized that they were truly utterly terrifying in every way possible.

* * *

Atlas was just as impressive as the first time he'd seen it, but it still reminded him just a _little_ bit too much of Ame. For the briefest moment, an image of a man with wild white hair and a wide smile flashed before his eyes. His heart clenched painfully in his chest. He shook off the image of his dead godfather and turned, deciding instead to take in the expressions of his teammates.

Sasuke, of course, looked as emotionless as ever. (Though, Naruto had expected as much. He and Sasuke had already seen Atlas once before). As much as he'd been improving in the last couple of months, Sasuke still had the Uchiha propensity towards stoicism and apathy. One of the greatest accomplishments he and Sakura made since Sasuke's return was getting the boy to open up about his thoughts more often. They'd been quite proud of themselves… right up until they realized that a Sasuke who spoke his mind was a _sassy_ motherfucker. Either way, it was something they'd learned to love about their Uchiha teammate. He and Sakura couldn't exactly call him out for having odd personality traits, after all. That would just be hypocritical.

Naruto's other two teammates, however, had much better reactions than Sasuke. Kiba's jaw had dropped wide open the moment Atlas came into view, and Lee's already wide eyes had grown to even-more-epic proportions. It truly was astonishing to see the difference between the technological advancements of Konoha compared to Atlas. The way Naruto understood it, because chakra was so versatile when compared to aura, the people of the Elemental Nations had no need for ingenious leaps in technology. A large chunk of Remnant's mundane technological wonders were by-products of developing weapons made for technological warfare. It just hadn't been a necessity in the Elemental Nations. However, that would change, and soon. Kakashi had spoken with not only Ironwood, but Hi no Kuni's Daimyo as well. Ironwood had agreed to connect the Elemental Nations to the rest of Remnant as far as basic technology goes. In exchange, all the Daimyo had to do was pay for it. It was expensive, incredibly so, but it would be worth it in the end.

From the little Kakashi had been able to tell them before they left, they'd only be ready to announce the existence of the Elemental Nations to the public once they'd been connected to 'the grid'. That could take up to a year to accomplish, so until then, he and his team would have to learn enough about the 'modern world' to fit in just as well as the rest of them.

Naruto grinned to himself. He couldn't wait to find out what Remnant had in store for them.

* * *

The Bullhead finally landed after its long flight. Ironwood led the foursome of boys through the halls of his absolutely massive academy. It was quite the sight, but like the rest of Atlas, it sent the smallest of shivers down Naruto's spine. Atlas Academy was built like a fortress of hard stone and cold steel. It was impersonal, rigid, and practical to the highest degree. At the very centre of the academy was the General's office. Just like the academy, and the General himself, the space was organized and entirely sterile in nature.

When they entered the room, there was a person both Naruto and Sasuke recognized standing beside Ironwood's desk. Her white hair, straight-backed posture and icy blue eyes were more than familiar to them.

"Boys, allow me to introduce you to Specialist Winter Schnee. She'll be the one to bring you all up-to-speed on the world's current technology, as well as escort you to the quarters where you'll be staying for the next few days. According to your leader, all of your basic necessities and expenses will be paid for as part of your 'mission.' If you have any questions at all during your stay here, Winter would be more than happy to help you." With that, the General moved around his desk, sat down, and began going through his paperwork.

Naruto raised a single eyebrow and glanced sideways at Sasuke, who was standing beside him. From the look on his face, they both had doubts that Winter would be 'happy to help' any of them.

Winter stepped forwards, her heels clacking against the metal floor and echoing through the room. "Well then, our first order of business shall be escorting you four to your quarters. You will have exactly ten minutes to unpack your things and be ready to leave once more. From there, we'll be heading somewhere I can best show you how to work the technology that you'll quickly need to become familiar with in the coming days."

Without sparing a single one of them a glance, she walked right in between Sasuke and Kiba before marching out into the hallway, expecting them to follow her immediately. They followed, but as they did, Naruto snuck another glance at Sasuke.

They were both suppressing identical smirks. It looked like Winter didn't recognize either of them. Naruto really shouldn't be surprised. Being unrecognizable outside of uniform was meant to be one of an Anbu's defining features.

The four of them followed Winter through the half-academy, half-military-base until they came upon an unmarked door. It was one in a series of hallways filled with doors. Naruto gave an educated guess and surmised that these were the academy's dorms. They were probably given one of the spare rooms for their short stay in Atlas.

"This is where you will be staying for the next four days. Try not to forget where it is." Winter's tone was clipped and professional, but the bored sarcasm was definitely there if you looked for it. Naruto decided to thank her anyway, then opened the door and led his team into the room.

It really wasn't anything special. There were four beds and a couple of dressers where they could put away their clothes. Other than that, there seemed to be a door leading into a personal bathroom, and nothing else. The beds had black pillows and white sheets, fitting in perfectly with the whole monochrome theme Atlas seemed to so thoroughly enjoy. With the time allotted to them, the four super-powered teens unpacked their bare essentials, claimed a bed, and then shuffled out of the room to follow Winter once more.

"So, where are we headed next, Winter-chan?" Naruto, ever upbeat and cheery, practically seemed to bounce out of the room. He was more than ready to start learning how to use Atlas' amazing technology. Winter sighed imperceptibly before addressing Naruto.

"We will first be heading towards a store that sells Scrolls." Before Naruto could ask _why_ they would need scrolls, of all things, Winter continued. She pulled a rectangular piece of metal out of her pocket. "This is a Scroll." She pressed the diamond-shaped button in the middle of the Scroll and it extended outwards, revealing a semi-transparent screen between the two pieces of metal, with the golden diamond now resting midway along the bottom half. "The primary use of a Scroll is as a communications device. Each Scroll has a personalized ten-digit number. By plugging in the personal number of a different Scroll, one can send what is referred to as a 'call' to another person. If the person with the other Scroll decides to answer their call, then a connection is made between the two Scrolls, allowing for verbal communication between the two."

Everyone but Sasuke looked a little dazed by the long explanation. This time Winter's sigh was just a little more audible. "If you didn't understand everything, or have questions, please hold onto them until we reach the store. There I will demonstrate both the primary, and the most significant secondary characteristics of your Scroll."

With that, Winter spun on her heel and started marching down the hallway. As they slowly began to follow her, Naruto turned to ask Sasuke a question.

"So, did you really understand all that, or were you just being as emotionless as always?"

Sasuke's smug smirk made Naruto impulsively itch to throw a punch at his arm.

"The way I see it, these Scrolls are a lot like the radios we use in Anbu, just a little more personalized."

* * *

"Okay, never mind. I take back what I said earlier. These things are far more sophisticated than our radios."

Naruto would normally have taken the time to enjoy Sasuke admitting he was wrong about something, but there was too much information swimming around in his head for him to care at the moment.

From video-calls to texting to the internet, there was a whole lot of _awesome_ packed into these tiny, unassuming devices. Winter had taken them to a store filled with all different kind of Scrolls, and then proceeded to completely blow their minds with the amount of information she'd dumped on them. Once she was done explaining and demonstrating, the cashier had given each of them a Scroll to fiddle around with. Naruto marvelled at the semi-transparent screen without any buttons on it, watching as he swiped back and forth between different screens, the device responding to nothing more than the touch of his thumb. By accident, he pressed down on a little box in the bottom corner, and suddenly he was staring down at his lap through the Scroll.

It took him a moment (and a little bit of panicking) to realize he'd discovered the phone's camera feature. With a suddenly wicked smile on his face, Naruto held the Scroll up at chest-height and primed his thumb over the small circle at the bottom of the screen.

"Hey Sasuke, check what I figured out!"

Sasuke looked up at his blonde-haired leader with an exasperated expression on his face. He, like his teammate, had been having little success thus far in figuring out how to work the device on his own.

"What?" He bit out, head cocked backwards to look at whatever Naruto had found exciting.

"Say cheese!" Naruto crowed happily. For the briefest moment, a look of utter confusion and surprise crossed Sasuke's face. It was all Naruto needed. With the finger speed of someone incredibly proficient in Ninjutsu, Naruto snapped a photo of Sasuke's expression. There was a brief flash of light, and suddenly, there it was. Forever immortalized on the Scroll held in Naruto's hand, a picture of Sasuke caught completely off-guard.

This, Naruto decided, was the greatest moment of his life.

Absolute gut-busting laughter burst from between his lips. Tears streamed from his eyes as he stared at the picture of his best friend. Immediately he had the attention of everyone else in the store. However, most importantly, he had Kiba's attention. The Inuzuka, from halfway across the store, could almost _smell_ a quality prank in the making.

"Oi, dobe, what'd you just do?" Sasuke ground out, a little startled by his friend's sudden, genuine, laughter.

In seconds, Kiba darted through the aisles until he'd come up behind Naruto. Leaning over his laughing friend's shoulder, Kiba got a good, long look at the picture Naruto had taken.

Then he, too, burst out laughing.

Sasuke got close enough to get a glimpse of the photo, seeing his stupid expression for only the briefest of moments, before he was on Naruto like a bloodhound. Naruto, however, was a slippery one. He weaved between Sasuke and Kiba, then took off like a shot through the aisles of the store. He was howling with laughter the entire time.

"You damn fool, get back here!" Sasuke rushed off after him, leaving a near-hyperventilating Kiba behind. "Get rid of it! Don't you dare show anyone else that damn picture!"

"No way!" Naruto threw over his shoulder. "Sakura-chan and Kakashi-sensei are going to _love_ this!" He cackled some more, taking sharp left and right turns around tall shelves in an attempt to keep Sasuke away from the Scroll.

Sasuke, though, was on a war path. Coming up behind Naruto like a predator on the prowl, he pounced. Naruto went down with a squawk, and the two went tumbling about. They just barely managed to keep any merchandise from falling off the shelves in the process.

From the other end of the store, Winter was staring at the pair of boys in complete shock. Not because of their behaviour, no. She was shocked because, in their mindless roughhousing, the pair had revealed something Winter wasn't even aware that they'd been hiding. Without taking her eyes off of the tumbling duo, Winter dialled the number to the General's personal Scroll.

"Winter?" She heard Ironwood answer on the other end of the line. There was a brief pause before he spoke again. "Winter, what's happening? Is everything alright? It sounds like there's a fight going on in the background."

"Oh, there's no trouble, General. Just… boys being boys, I guess you could say."

"Ok, that's… good, I guess. If there's no trouble, then why did you call me, Winter?" His words might have seemed harsh to another, but the General was a busy man. Winter didn't take it personally.

"General, were you aware that two of the four boys sent over from the Elemental Nations, boys who are meant to become warriors representing the strength of their home, are amputees?"

"What! Really?" The line went silent for a moment. "I didn't notice any prosthetics when I was looking them over… which two boys are you talking about, Winter?"

"The blonde and the stoic one. And I would be surprised if you'd noticed a prosthetic, General. Neither wears one. They both seem to be missing an arm. From what I can tell, it begins either from the shoulder, or mid-bicep, but no lower."

"On both of them?"

"Yes. In fact, they seem to be missing opposing arms. The… right for the blonde, and the left for the other."

"Hm. I'll have to speak with Kakashi about this as soon as possible. Thank you for informing me, Winter."

"It was my pleasure, General."

With that, the conversation ended. Winter put away her Scroll, looked back at the boys, and sighed. How Sasuke had managed to pin Naruto to the floor, keeping him in a headlock with his arm, pinning his arm with one leg and reaching for the Scroll with the toes of his other foot, she would never know. How Naruto managed to keep the Scroll away from Sasuke when his only useful arm was occupied and the Scroll was _in his mouth_ would mystify her for weeks.

"Okay, that's enough out of the two of you. We've wasted enough time here, let's purchase your Scrolls and move on. The General still wants you four to blend in a little better, and that means you'll need to begin dressing like Huntsmen. Once we finish up here, I'll be taking you four shopping."

While she was speaking, Naruto managed to wriggle free from Sasuke's hold (another mystery she would never solve) and pop back up to his feet. His whiskered cheeks were red from exertion, but the smile on his face was nearly blinding. If it weren't for her strict training and nature as a Schnee, Winter would have found herself smiling right along with him.

"Assuming you're the leader of the four of you ("Yup, that's me!), I will be putting you in charge of this." Winter pulled out a golden strip of plastic from one of her pockets. "This is a Credit Card. Almost all shops, on all three continents, will accept this as currency. It is connected directly to a bank account, and so while it technically does not have a limit, it _is_ , in fact, limited by how much money is being stored in said account. All of the money connected to this credit card was supplied by your village, in order to pay for your 'mission expenses.' The currency we use here on Remnant is called Lien, and looks very similar to a credit card. The different currency amounts are denoted by the different colours on the cards."

Finished with her speech, Winter moved to hand the credit card to Naruto. Instead, she found it snatched directly from her by Sasuke. Once again, an indignant squawk left Naruto's lips.

"Oi, teme, I'm the leader here! Give it back!"

"Dumbass, you never had it in the first place. Besides, knowing you, you'd spend all our mission money on ramen the moment you got the chance."

"I would not!" Naruto went to cross his arms, realized he only had one of them to cross, aborted the movement, and pouted. He was unsuccessful in changing Sasuke's mind.

"Yeah, you totally would, Naruto." Kiba decided to chime in. Winter made an effort not to jump in surprise. He'd managed to sneak up behind her while she was distracted with the two buffoons in front of her.

"I have to agree with Sasuke-san, my friend. I fear you would spend all of our money on your ramen addiction before we could acquire our more necessary supplies." Lee put in his two-cents from behind Naruto, causing the blonde to slump to the floor, a cloud of depression almost visibly hanging above his head.

"Mou, all my friends are mean to me." He mumbled while drawing circles on the floor with his finger.

That brought rounds of laughter from the other three boys, and another exasperated sigh from Winter. What had she done wrong for Ironwood to subject her to such torture?

* * *

Winter hadn't realized just how much of a chore it would be to shop with four teenage boys. She'd thought boys would be simple. They would pick something they thought looked cool and was functional, and then everything would be over and done with. She could go back to her apartment to finally relax and unwind.

She was wrong. She was so, _so_ wrong. Winter was convinced she would have had an easier time going shopping with Weiss. With _Weiss_.

Kiba was, rather unsurprisingly, the easiest of the four of them. He seemed to be the most stereotypical guy, knowing what he likes and not being afraid to buy it. Of course, that ended up with him having the least functional clothes of the four of them, but at this point, Winter couldn't care less. Kiba ended up buying a couple pairs of black skinny jeans, the type that were fashionably ripped at the knees. Being in a store for Huntsmen they were made of far more flexible material than standard jeans, but that still didn't make them the most functional pair of pants around. He also ended up getting himself a wallet chain and a pair of thick black biker boots. To finish it all off, he decided to buy himself a new, all-black, fur-lined coat. It was the kind with fur going around from zipper-to-zipper.

That was all he wore. His friends had ribbed him for walking around with nothing but an unzipped jacket and no shirt, but Kiba liked his new look and was sticking with it.

For all their ribbing and joking, the other three ended up being far more bothersome than Kiba.

Sasuke, at least, wasn't too bad. He'd wanted to cover his entire body in a simple black cloak, but Winter wasn't going to let that fly. There was no way the public wouldn't feel uneasy if they ever saw him fight in such a get-up. He looked far too much like an assassin for comfort. However, his reason for wanting to wear a cloak was sound, so she couldn't exactly fault him for that. One of Sasuke's stipulations for clothing was that he wanted to hide his missing arm from view, believing that it would be too obvious a weakness to simply show off out in the open. That, Winter could agree with.

In the end, they compromised on a half-cape, one that clung only to his left side through the use of a fancy white pauldron. The cape itself was black, with the Uchiha clan symbol stamped right in the centre, while the inside was a deep red. Then he'd gone for a black high-collared coat with a single long sleeve that only covered his right side. It came together at his hips, before flaring out on either side down to his mid-calves, leaving only the front open. Beneath that were a simple pair of white pants, and red open-toed sandals.

Naruto, she'd found, was an absolute nightmare to shop for. The fool wanted to wear far more orange than was necessary, and fighting him on the topic was like trying to argue with her stubborn-mule of a father. In the end she'd managed to curtail the amount of orange on his person, but only by so much.

Her greatest success with Naruto was actually getting him out of that accursed jumpsuit. She eventually got him into a simple skintight black tank-top covered by a functional piece of grey armour. There were black combat pants taped to his shins, and a metal greave covering a separate sleeve on his left arm. The sleeveless tank and armour left his tattooed shoulder and amputated arm completely bare to the world, but Naruto didn't seem to care. The one area where Winter finally lost an argument to Naruto was on the scarf. Though she didn't know it, Naruto's new look greatly resembled Kakashi's old Anbu gear. In order to honour his sensei, Naruto decided to take up the tradition of hiding his face. However, he was still faithful to his own sense of style and his love for the colour orange. So, instead of finding a cloth face-mask, Naruto ended up wrapping a burnt orange scarf around his face, letting the single long tail trail behind him. To finish off the look, Naruto had commissioned a cloak similar to his old sage cloak. The thing was a solid black, with the Uzumaki symbol emblazoned in bright orange on the back along with orange flames, once made iconic by his father, lining the bottom hem and the edges of the sleeves. Like his previous cloak, he simply wore it clasped over his shoulders, leaving the sleeves empty.

Seeing the boy grow irritated with his hair, which was hanging down to his eyes without his headband on, Winter decided to buy him a couple of hairbands, and then wasted an extra ten minutes teaching him how to tie back his hair. It was a feat made far more impressive by the fact that he could do it one-handed.

Winter would never admit it out loud, but of the four, she thought Naruto's change of wardrobe made him look _incredibly_ attractive.

However, of the four boys, Winter was surprised to find that Lee was, by _far_ , the most difficult person to take shopping. Fashionably speaking, the boy was an absolute mess. One of the greatest reasons for the trip taking so long was the fact that Winter had taken Lee to get a makeover. Just getting him to agree to go had taken an hour straight of arguing. Then, when she'd wanted to get rid of not only his silly haircut, but his horrific eyebrows as well, another argument had ensued.

Winter was very glad to say she had won out in the end. By the time they'd entered the clothing store, Lee was already looking like an entirely different person. Due to his practical nature, they ended up agreeing on a military-grade buzzcut for his hairstyle. Along with getting his eyebrows trimmed down to a reasonable size, Winter had to admit; the new look changed Lee in all the right ways. The buzzed hair and normal-sized eyebrows drew attention to Lee's defined jawline and wide, expressive eyes.

Once she'd won-out over Lee's stubborn duty to his sensei's 'good-looks' and finally gotten the boys into the store, she realized her troubles with the energetic boy had only just begun. Getting him to ditch his hideous green jumpsuit and orange leg-warmers was an exercise in patience of the highest degree. Winter hadn't even known before this encounter that she could have such a high level of patience when dealing with another person. Once again, however, her stubbornness and duty towards the General's wishes won out over Lee's stubborn sense of loyalty to his sensei's teachings. She'd only finally managed to convince him to do so (with a _lot_ of help from Naruto, Kiba and even Sasuke) when she brought up the fact that Lee wouldn't have a choice in the matter. His clothes made him stand out, and if he wanted to blend in and complete his mission, a mission given to him by the Hokage, then he would _have_ to change his wardrobe.

In the end, Lee had taken a strong liking to a pair of dark green pants that billowed out from the waist, only to wrap tightly around his ankles. He'd taken to wearing a skintight black sleeveless tank-top, almost identical to Naruto's, overtop that. Then he'd wrapped his fists, forearms, ankles and feet in orange bandage-tape. To finish off the look, he'd found a green bandana that he'd taken to wrapping around his head, leaving it tied in the back.

Once Winter walked them back to their quarters in Atlas academy, she watched the door close behind the last of the boys with an inordinate amount of relief. Now all she had to do was report to General Ironwood and then she'd be free to return home and take a nice, hot bath…

* * *

Naruto was just getting ready to hit they hay when a large puff of smoke exploded in the centre of them room. Sitting there with its breast puffed up in pride and a small scroll clutched in its talons, was a hawk. This little thing was Kaze, one of Sasuke's summons left behind in the Elemental Nations to act as a messenger between the boys and their leader. Kaze had been left behind specifically for the purpose of delivering the decisions made by Kakashi alongside the other four Kage during the Five Kage Summit.

With practiced fingers, Sasuke reached down and untied the scroll with one hand. He slipped his thumb beneath the seal holding it closed, allowing it to pop open and unfurl to its full length. For the sake of the others in the room, Sasuke decided to read out loud.

 _'_ _It has been decided by the Five Kage of the Elemental Nations that the villages of Iwagakure no Sato, Kumogakure no Sato, Kirigakure no Sato and Konohagakure no Sato will each send four of-age shinobi to one of each of Remnant's four Huntsmen Academies. Sunagakure no Sato and her leader, Godaime Kazekage Gaara-dono, have decided to trust that their allies in Konoha will suffice as informants on the way of life in the rest of Remnant. They will not be sending any shinobi overseas due to concerns about their diminished military ranks._

 _In light of such information, the Kage have already decided upon which Huntsmen Academy they wish for their shinobi to attend. Iwa will be sending her shinobi to Haven Academy, in Mistral. Kumo will be sending her shinobi to Atlas Academy, in Atlas. Kiri will be sending her shinobi to Shade Academy, in Vacuo. Finally, you four will be heading to Beacon Academy, located in the city of Vale. You will be expected to leave as early as tomorrow afternoon, and no later than early morning the day after. Once in Vale, you are to find personal lodging, paid for by the village, for the next five months while you familiarize yourselves with your new surroundings._

 _Once you have found a place to stay, you are all to make your way to Beacon Academy, where I have arranged for your auras to be unlocked. Once that is done, you will each be expected to purchase and familiarize yourselves with a personal weapon typical of most Huntsmen._

 _Good luck with your mission, boys._

 _Hatake Kakashi, Rokudaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato_

 _P.S._

 _As proof of you orders, tear off this last strip and show the above to General Ironwood._

 _Personally, I want you boys to take these next five months as a vacation, of sorts. Have fun, make some friends, live a little. Kami knows the four of you deserve it after all that's happened with the Fourth Shinobi War.'_

Sasuke finished reading and the room fell silent. He looked up from the scroll and took turns staring each of his teammates in the eye. When his gaze finally fell on Naruto, he found the blonde grinning.

"Hehe~" Naruto crowed, pushing his hand against his knee and hunching forwards from where he was seated on his bed, "This is going to be _awesome!_ "

* * *

 ** _AN:_** _So, I left a hint as to the identity of an unnamed character somewhere in this chapter. The first person to correctly identify who this character is will get some cyber cookies! Also, to the Guest who left me an absolutely incredible review about how much they don't want me to 'screw up' this story: thank you. I don't plan on it. I, like you, am not exactly the biggest fan of Harem stories, and I don't think I will ever write one._

 _Peace!_

 _The Chthonic Professor_


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